Artificial leg.



PATENTED APR. 23, 1907.

E. BUUHSTEIN. ARTIFICIAL LEG.

APPLICATION FILED KY1611906. v

FERDINAND BUOHSTEIN OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

ARTIFICIAL LEG.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented April 23, 1907.

Application filed May 16,1906. Sliibl NO- 317-057- To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND BUCH- STEIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at'Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Legs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to artificial legs, and

` has for its object to improve the same in the several particulars hereinafter described..

The invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter d escribed, and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation with some parts broken away, showing an artificial leg embodying the several features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken approximately o n the line Q02 x2 of Fig. l, some parts being broken away and some parts being removed; and Fig. 3 is a detail of the slip-socket removed from working position and sectioned on the line :c3 x3 of Fig. '2.

The numeral l indicates the lower leg-section, having a foot 2 of the usual or any suitable construction. 3 indicates the thighsocket, which is connected to the leg-section 1 by a pair of metallic thigh-straps 4, the sections of which are hinged at 5. The lower sections of the thigh-straps 4 are rigidly secured to the sides of the leg-section 1, and they are formed with vertical slots 6. Vertical guide-pins 7 are located within the slot 6 and are rigidly secured at their llanged lower ends to the corresponding lower sections of the strap 4; Ooiled cushioning-springs 8 are placed loosely upon the guide-pins 7 and rest y upon the flanged lower ends thereof.

The slip-socket 9 at its sides is provided with bearing feet or lugs l0, the depending and outwardly-projecting ends of which are channel-shaped in cross-section, so that they are adapted to embrace the upper portions of the guide-pins 7 and to directly bear upon the upper ends of the springs 8. These bearing-feet 10 are made of spring-metal, and their upper ends are riveted or otherwise rigidly secured to the slip-socket in such' a vably of rawhide.

manner that the depending portions of said feetmay bel sprung laterally.

l he lower sections of the thigh-straps 4 diverge upward to a considerable extent. In applying the slip-socket in working position the bearing-feet 10 are passed between the upper ends of the lower sections of the thighstraps, and the sockets are then forced downward until the feet l() reach the slots 6, whereupon the said feet will spring outward into said slots and will hold the slip-socket against accidental vdisplacement or removal from working position. The flanges of the feet l0 are beveled, so that they have a cam action on the upper extremities of the slots 6 when the slip-socket is positively forced upward, and thus cause the said feet to spring inward and permit the removal of the said slip-socket. To the upper end of the leg-section l is secured a flexible protection band ll, preferrIhis flexible band prevents the underwear being caught between the slip-socket and the lower leg-section, and as it is pliable is not liable to tear the underwear. 'lhis celluloid socket is much stronger than wood and is only about one-half the weight of rawhide. Furthermore, wood is expensive to carve into shape and rawhide will shrink when heated bythe body, while celluloid will not heat easily and maintains its shape under all ordinary conditions. 'l his celluloid slip-socket is lined with .buckskin or similar soft orpliable material. When the slip-socket is made from plastic Celluloid the buckskin or lining is first applied to the stump formed when the plastic concrete is pressed onto the same, and when the celluloid is allowed to dry it will form a permanent union with the said buckskin or lining material, when the celluloid, while in molten condition, is applied to the lining material and allowed to cool and will also form a permanent union with the said lining.

The leg above described, while extremely efficient for the purposes had in view, may be constructedv at comparatively small cost.

I claim as my inventionl. In an artiiicial leg, the combination with a lower leg-section and metal straps secured thereto, said straps having vertical slotsy and vertical guide-pins within said slots, of cushioning-springs placed on said guide-pins, and a slip-socket having bearing-feet adapted to IOO rest upon the upper ends of said cushioningsprings, substantially as described.

IIO

2. In an artificial leg, the combination with a lower leg-section and a thigh-socket, of

a lower leg-section and a thigh-socket, of hinged thigh-straps connecting said leg-section and thigh-socket, the lower sections of said straps having vertical slots and guidepins within said slots, springs placed on said cushioning-springs, a slip-socket having at its sides laterally-yielding bearing-feet 10 that are channel-shaped in cross-section and are beveled on their outer surfaces, and which bearing-feet normally rest upon the upper ends of said cushioning-springs and work within the slots of said straps and prevent accidental displacement of said slip-socket, substantially as described.

3. In an artilicial leg, the combination with hinged thigh-straps connecting the two, the lower sections of said straps having vertical slots or grooves, a slip-socket having at its sides laterally-yielding bearing-feet adapted to be sprung into the slots or grooves of said thigh-straps, and springs yieldingly supporting said socket from the lower leg-section7 substantially as described. Y

In testimony whereof I aHiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FERDINAND BUCHSTEIN.

Witnesses:

C. MACNAMARA, F. D. MERCHANT. 

